


Red Light, Green Light

by NuclearNik



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A smattering of everything, Auror Partners, Children, Co-workers, Dark Hermione Granger, Draco gets a cold, Draco watches trashy TV, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Humor, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Romance, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2020-09-30 22:36:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 4,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20454662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NuclearNik/pseuds/NuclearNik
Summary: A collection of drabbles of various lengths about our favourite snarky idiots, Hermione and Draco.Any specific warnings for individual chapters will be included in notes at the beginning of the chapter.





	1. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - You make me feel

The house was warm, lights were dimmed, and the raspy sound of an old record rang through the house.

He sat in the armchair, foot tapping to the beat, watching the loves of his life spin around the room. His beautiful, silly girls, dancing like maniacs.

_ You make me feel like dancing _

_ I'm gonna dance the night away _

His wife held their daughter's chubby hands, guiding the little girl as she toddled about, happy giggles floating through the air.

If a seer had told him 5 years ago this is where he would be, he’d have called them a crackpot.


	2. Don't Bleed On My Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Don't bleed on my floor

“Don't bleed on my floor.”

“Sure, no problem, not like I've been  _ stabbed _ or anything!” Draco said, ever the drama queen.

Hermione prayed for patience. “I meant, follow me into the kitchen so blood doesn't get all over my white carpet.”

He gave her a dirty look, clearly displeased with her lack of empathy.

“You only got nicked, you great big baby. And it's your own fault! I  _ told  _ you to let it go but you just had to get in the guy’s face _ — _

“I was defending your honour!”

“Bollocks. You were trying to prove you had the bigger dick.”


	3. They Deserved It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Why are they afraid of you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter specific tags: Dark!Hermione

“Get out of the way, little girl.”

Hermione smiled and raised a hand.

Cries of panic and surprise filled the air as roots tore from the earth to twine around the group of men, twisting and tightening, until the noises came to a sudden stop. The roots slithered back into the dirt and limp bodies fell to the ground.

The sound of clapping broke the silence and Hermione spun in the direction of the sound.

Bright silver eyes flashed at her in the dark, reflecting the moonlight.

“That was beautiful, love.” 

She smiled. “They deserved it.”

“I have no doubt.” 


	4. I'll Never Love Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - I'll Never Love Again by Lady Gaga

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter specific tags: referenced character death

Her eyes are dry.

She won't cry again—not today. 

She'd finally gone back to work in the last week, desperately needing to occupy her mind and time. It worked, for a while.

But when she came home—to an empty flat and deafening silence, to a heap of untouched mail and dirty dishes—reality rushed back, buzzing inside her skull until she couldn't stand it any longer. 

The empty bottle of firewhisky beside her spoke louder than any words. It dulled the pain enough that she could pretend she was okay.

But he was dead, and she would never be okay again.


	5. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Shiver... Me Timbers

"My son is not going out dressed like that! It's so... common!"

"He's a little boy, Draco. He wants to be a pirate."  
Hermione knelt in front of their son to tighten his belt, thankful her hair hid the amusement on her face.

"With a few adjustments, he could be a prince or something royal at the very least! Don't we have a crown around here somewhere from last year?"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione said, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Your Highness, but our son is going to this costume party as a pirate and I will be encouraging him to say 'arrr matey' as often as possible."

Enjoying the look of abject horror on her husband's face, Hermione took her son's hand and walked out the door.


	6. Use Your Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Kiss

In the twisting Halls of Hogwarts, it was easy to get lost in thought.

That is precisely what Hermione had been doing—thinking about the upcoming Runes exam and mentally blocking out time to study for it—when a hand shot out of a dark alcove and yanked her in.

"What are you—"

Fingers under her chin tipped her head back, and in the dim light she could just make out the silhouette of her not-quite boyfriend.

His mouth was lifted on one side with that stupid smirk that made her want to punch him and kiss him in equal measure.

"Malfoy, next time you want to squeeze in a snog between classes, use your words like a normal person."

The smirk only deepened, and then he was kissing her, and she forgot all about the Runes exam.


	7. I Had it Handled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Auror Partners

"Stupefy!"

Red light shone from the tip of Hermione's wand as she haphazardly cast spell after spell behind her.

She was in an alleyway somewhere in Ireland, and the dark wizards she had been chasing for the last week were now suddenly chasing her.

Hermione didn't know when exactly they had gotten the upper hand, but she was now in a rather sticky situation and completely partnerless because she had been so sure she didn't need him and could take care of it herself.

Just as she came to a dead-end and was about to blast her way through a wall, a voice shouted, "Incarcerous!" followed by a barrage of other spells to stop and subdue the targets.

As the smoke cleared, her partner appeared before her with his perfectly punchable face.

"Well Granger, you were right. It certainly looked like you had everything under control. In fact, I don't even know why I came."

"Oh, stuff it. I had the upper hand. I always do."

"Mmm indeed. I think what you mean to say is, "Thank you for swooping in and saving me, Draco."

In lieu of words, she answered with a crude gesture.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You're so very welcome, oh fair maiden."

After dusting herself off, Hermione went over to the incapacitated wizards and began searching them. "Let's get them rounded up and back to the Ministry. Come on, Malfoy, help me with this."

He performed an exaggerated bow. "Your wish is my command."

A few hours later when they were back in the office, Hermione said two words through clenched teeth.

"Thank you."

All she got was a smarmy smile in return.


	8. Sage and Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Ancient magic

Smoke rising from behind Hagrid's cottage caught Draco's eye. Hermione had asked him to meet her there after class.

Draco picked up his steps, hurrying down the hill.

When he reached the stone hut, he didn't smell fire on the smoke, but herbs.

Around the back he found Hermione arranging rocks in a pattern on the ground, holding sage in one hand.

“Oh good, you're here. Take this.” She passed him a bundle of dry animal bones. 

He almost opened his mouth to ask what the hell she was doing, instead thinking it prudent to simply shut up and help.


	9. Let It Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Excuse me. I have to go make a scene

Snow glistened on the eaves of the quaint buildings that lined Hogsmeade's cobblestone streets.

It would have been romantic but for the fact that Hermione was getting angrier by the minute. 

There she was trying to enjoy a stroll with her newly-minted boyfriend, only to have the mood utterly ruined by gossiping onlookers throwing cutting glares in Draco's direction.

He was used to it. He  _ deserved _ it, he'd say. 

But he didn't. He no longer clung to the fanaticism of his upbringing and had more than atoned for his sins. 

He  _ deserved  _ to finish his education in peace.

Hermione felt Draco's hand tighten on hers.

“Let it go, Granger.”

She was about to acquiesce when an old woman made a particularly rude remark as they passed.

“That's it! Please excuse me, I must go make a scene.” 

Before he had a chance to grab her she was spinning out of his reach and marching towards the group of catty women.


	10. Never Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - 8th-year angst

When Draco stepped onto the station platform, he almost expected to see grey skies and skeletal trees, perhaps a heavy blanket of fog—a dark and foreboding atmosphere to fit his mood.

Instead, the trees were green and full, some even in bloom. The sky was bright with warm sunlight, hardly a cloud in sight.

Keeping his head down, Draco made his way to the train, nearly boarding without issue when he heard a peal of laughter.

Even though he knew he shouldn't, he couldn't help but turn his head in the direction of the sound.

There she was, hair flying every which way, hands gesturing animatedly as she told a story. 

She was beautiful, there in the early summer sun. Bright. Perfect.

He remembered their first kiss, the first time she cried in front of him, the first time he opened up to her.

He remembered the first time he wanted to say  _ I love you _ but didn't.

None of that mattered now, not now that the safe haven of school was no longer there to shelter them. 

They were thrust into real life, into a life where they came from completely different worlds, opposite lives with no pieces that fit together.

No matter how good it had felt to hold her, she wouldn't,  _ couldn't _ be his. 

Some things are just not meant to be.


	11. Life Is No Nintendo Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Windowpane. Also inspired by "Love The Way You Lie"

“Fuck you!”

A glass broke against the wall, just shy of the window.

“You’re not leaving me.”

A shelf of knickknacks clattered to the floor, little ceramic figurines shattering against the hardwood.

When Hermione got worked up like this, she tended towards Muggle acts of violence, something Draco was grateful for because physically he could mostly handle her. He wasn’t sure he could say the same thing if she had her wand and fury fully pointed at him.

Draco ignored her, singularly focused on the door, striding down the hallway while avoiding the pieces of broken things that littered the floor.

He’d tried hard,  _ so fucking hard,  _ to hold them together, but they were an open flame above a pile of tinder—incendiary. Two angry, broken people desperately clinging to each other, not with fingers, but with ragged, bloody claws.

“Draco, you can’t leave me. Please.”

The tirade behind him turned from demanding to pleading. He looked back to see that Hermione had slid down the wall to collapse on the floor, face red and wet with tears.

But it was too late.

He’d already reached the door.


	12. The Bachelor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Red wine in the rain

It was raining in London.

Hermione didn't mind it. It made for the perfect atmosphere for her weekly Thursday evening ritual which included a hefty glass of Merlot, snacks, and the newest episode of  _ The Bachelor. _

Usually, it was just her and Crooks, snuggled up on the couch ready for the drama.

This time, though, it was different. They had a guest.

A guest that was currently driving Hermione barmy by asking questions and making comments every five seconds.

"Why do people go on this show? You'd have to be desperate to resort to such a thing. It's unbecoming." 

And then, "Ha! Brandy absolutely conned what's-her-name! Very Slytherin of her. I approve."

"This bloke has all these girls fawning over him like he's the fucking Queen. What an ego trip."

When they finally got to the rose ceremony, Draco was perched on the edge of the sofa, utterly enraptured, wine glass in one hand while the other nervously stuffed various cheeses into his mouth.

When the roses were all handed out and one contestant was sent home, Draco clapped.

"Yes! Good man. Belinda would have sucked the life out of him."

Hermione knew then that she'd gotten him hooked on trashy Muggle television. When credits rolled he requested the next episode and harrumphed when she told him they'd have to wait.

"Can't you just use that pointer device to get the next one? You're a witch, for Merlin's sake. You'd think you'd be able to summon a simple telly-vision show."


	13. Take Me Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Theatre

_ "Tale as old as time _

_ Song as old as rhyme." _

"What—"

"Sssh!"

"But I—"

Suddenly the voice that had been beside him was hot against his ear as Hermione hissed at him through her teeth.

"Stop. Talking. You're being rude! Ask me questions later."

A little cross from being reprimanded like a child, Draco folded his arms and watched the stage with apathy. 

Eventually, though, the performance caught his attention. He especially enjoyed the flashy storming of the castle with the flames and pitchforks. 

When the final curtain fell, he placed his hand gently on Hermione's lower back and led her outside into the crisp Autumn air.

"See, I told you. It wasn't as '_frivolous_ _and inane'_ as you thought would be," she said.

"Eh. It was alright."

Hermione _ tsked_. "Sure. Don't try to play it cool with me. You like musicals, just admit it."

"I would never. But I will concede that it gave me some ideas."

"Such as?"

"Such as you, nude in front of the fireplace reading a book aloud as I do other, more important things with my mouth."

"Mmm. That _ is _ a good idea."

She breathed against his ear again, but instead of chastising him, she said, "Take me home."


	14. Fruit Ninja

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Apple

"Stop throwing fruit at me, you hellcat!"

An apple hit the wall just left of Draco's head, a too-ripe peach following immediately after.

"Merlin, Hermione. I said I was sorry!"

What was the transgression that had him dodging apples and stone fruit they'd just bought from the farmers market, you ask?

He'd replaced a few of her older books with newer additions as a surprise for her birthday. It was supposed to be a sweet gesture, and he had anticipated her thoroughly snogging him in gratitude. Instead, he was avoiding bloody missiles thrown by an irate bookworm with a hell of an arm.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. My. Books. Again!"

Each word was punctuated with a _ thump _ as she continued to lob things at him.

It was silent but for her heaving breaths and the _ splat _of the peach sliding down the wall.

All at once, the fight went out of her, and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh—Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have thrown things at you." 

She walked to where he was pressed against the wall, picking a mushy bit of banana out of his hair before cupping his cheek in her hand.

"I overreacted. I'm sorry. But please, _ please _ for the love of magic, don't touch my books without talking to me first. Those were precious first editions you got rid of."

Draco still couldn't fathom how someone could get so worked up over binding and paper, but he knew better than to voice that opinion.

Besides, if it was important to Hermione, it was important to him.


	15. Sick and Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt - Under the covers

Hermione pushed open the door with her hip, hands full with a bowl of soup and a mug full of steaming tea.

"Alright, I got the soup you asked for, and I—"

It was hard to tell what the voice muffled beneath a pile of blankets was saying, but it sounded like, "I'm not hungry anymore." 

"You need to eat, love. It's your favourite, okay?"

She heard an irritated grunt, and then the blankets were flipped down, revealing a miserable looking Draco with puffy eyes and a drippy nose.

"Don't want soup. Go away."

Heaving a sigh, Hermione said, "If you want to feel better, you need to listen to me and do what I tell you."

"No." Despite the bloodshot eyes and pitiful appearance, his expression was set in stubbornness as he grabbed a pillow and tossed it at her with uncharacteristic clumsiness.

Hermione dodged the flying projectile and managed to keep the soup from spilling.

"You are the single worst patient I have ever had the displeasure of caring for. Considering I work in the emergency ward, that's saying something." 

Setting the dishes on the bedside table, Hermione turned to him with hands propped on her hips.

"You're going to eat this soup if I have to hand feed you each bite, you hear me?"

She leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "And if you're very good, perhaps we can play sexy nurse later when you're feeling better."

His expression went from grumpy to intrigued in a split second.

Without another word, he obediently opened his mouth and gestured for her to get on with it.


	16. The Pretenders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday drabble for DFW. Trope - fake dating

"Absolutely not."

Hermione sat behind her desk, glaring at the wizard in front of her.

"Come on, Granger. It'll be a month or two, at most."

Shaking her head, she said, "An hour would be too long, Malfoy. I'm not pretending to be your girlfriend. Ever."

Malfoy ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the perfectly styled 'do. "Just listen to me for a second, will you? This could be mutually beneficial for— "

"Nope. Now get out." Resisting the urge to throw her blown-glass paperweight at his head, she resolutely ignored him and focused on the paperwork before her.

"I could get you support. For your project, I mean. Disgraced heir or not, I do still have some pull in pure-blood society."

Her interest now caught, Hermione stared at him for a minute, gauging his sincerity.

"What are the terms?"

"I'm so glad you asked." With an exaggerated flourish, Malfoy flicked his wand and the words from a contract he'd drawn up appeared in the air.

Hermione would honestly rather scoop out her own eyeball with a rusty spoon than pretend to be Draco Malfoy's _ anything_, but if hanging on his arm for a month or two was what it took to get her reformed house-elf bill passed, she supposed she could suffer through it.

She insisted on reading the contract from top to bottom, inserting a few addendums here and there.

Getting someone to pretend they love you for the sake of your reputation and inheritance was rather pathetic, in Hermione's opinion, but she did believe in second chances. 

So, she'd help Malfoy to be seen as a respectable, reformed bad boy, get support for her bill, and maybe even get a few nice dinners out of it. If they were to pretend they were dating, surely Malfoy would take her out somewhere public and fancy. She could pretend she cared whilst enjoying a glass of wine more expensive than the rent for her flat.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all.


	17. Slowly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Warm-Up Round - Rose/Love - of the Dramione Last Drabble Writer Standing Comp

He fell in love with her mouth first. 

It was difficult not to with all the time she spent talking at him, explaining why she was right and he was wrong.

Pink and full, her lips were distracting, and he frequently found himself losing arguments simply because he was paying no attention to her words.

Her hair was next; of course it was. It was hard to miss the way it floated around her head, the ends getting frizzier the more wound up she got while defending whatever lost cause she'd taken up arms for that week. The wild mane he'd found so odious in school now charmed him.

He started to look forward to their encounters, to seeing her at a table across the aisle from him in one of the Wizengamot halls. Debates were a delight when she was his opponent.

And she was. Often. The Ministry of Magic found themselves up against her on a regular basis. As a private solicitor, she took only the cases she truly cared about, and when those cases involved the Ministry, Draco was there to represent them.

The sharpness of her tongue and the depth of her intelligence rocked him on a daily basis. She was quick, far cleverer than any prosecution he'd ever been face-to-face with. 

Eventually, her hands became a part of his obsession, dainty things with slim fingers and meticulously tidy nails. She used them sparingly when stating her case, firm gestures to get her point across.

When he kissed her for the first time, her mouth was even better than he'd imagined in all that time spent staring at the wonder that was Hermione Granger. 

The first morning he woke up to wild hair in his face attempting to suffocate him, all he could do was bat it out of the way and smile, pulling the soft, warm body of his witch closer.

And when he bound himself to her, as tightly as the ribbon tied round their hands, her fingers slipped between his own and he knew love like he had never before.


	18. Definitely Not Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for Round 1 - Lavender/admiration - of the Dramione Last Drabble Writer Standing Comp

Hermione couldn't tell you when she and Draco Malfoy crossed the line between bitter enemies and somewhat unwilling acquaintances, and she definitely didn't remember when they moved into begrudging admiration territory.

She wasn't proud of it. Malfoy's ego was plenty inflated enough on its own. It didn't need any encouragement from her. 

Still, being forced to work with him hadn't been as bad as she'd thought, and even she had to admit he was exceedingly skilled in complicated spellwork, something that came in handy when they had curses to break. She simply respected his dedication to his work as someone who held such values in high standing herself, and that was it. There was absolutely no way it had anything to do with him as a person.

It couldn't be; he was a rather unlikeable person to begin with. Stubborn, arrogant, entitled, and contrary just for the fun of it. 

Very few redeeming qualities.

Though his hair _ was _ nice. And he did hold doors open for her when they were on assignment. His intelligence was certainly appealing, and maybe, _ perhaps_, she could admit he was not a chore to look at, and he had very neat penmanship. Sometimes he knew more about something than she did and it annoyed her just as much as it ratcheted up his appeal; she did so admire an intelligent man.

So really, hardly anything of quality to be found there at all.

He was just a work partner. And if there were occasional moments when their hands brushed and it felt like sparks dancing over her skin, well, there must be some sort of scientific explanation, an electric current unknowingly charged between them, surely.

That was all.

* * *

Hermione _could _tell you when she and Draco Malfoy skipped right over friends and dove straight into the deep end of lovers_, _a moment she would forever memorialise as _The Incident._

It was hot. 

The weather, that is. Not _ The Incident_, though the memory of it did bring a flush to her face.

It was stifling and sticky, and they’d spent all day in the Morrocan sun trying to break through a series of intricately woven wards protecting a cache of Dark Artefacts. 

When evening fell, bringing darkness yet no true relief from the heat, they trudged back to their tent.

The details were a bit hazy, but there’d been a spat over who got to use the outdoor shower first, and then they were stripping off their clothes and staring each other down, chests heaving with furious breaths.

Everything was still for a moment. Then it exploded, her awareness reduced to sensation alone, tongues and teeth and hard-pressing mouths. A hot, firm body against her own and hands that held her just right.

They didn’t speak of it in the morning, preferring to pretend they had never crossed the aforementioned line. 

Upon returning home, they held out for a while, resisting right up until she pushed him into a broom closet.

_ Definitely not friends. _


	19. Forever Fresh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for Round 4 - Daffodil/Chivalry - of the Dramione Last Drabble Writer Standing Comp

Brightly coloured flowers standing out against the drab interior of the fifth floor of the Ministry are the first thing Draco sees each morning upon arrival to work. Rain or shine, snow or sleet, Granger has a single flower displayed in a ugly little vase, unevenly shaped and barely capable of showing off the beauty blooming on green stems within.

When Mother's Day rolls around, the following Monday there are pretty yellow flowers with ruffled centres on her desk. They are daffodils, he thinks. He can hear the word in his mother's voice, can see her surrounded by natural life, meticulously tending to her gardens every weekend.

Potter stops by Granger's office to visit, and Draco overhears a snippet of their conversation.

"They were my mother's favourite."

_ We _ re.

He, too, knows the pain of losing a mother. On the day meant for celebrating motherhood he pays tribute through the thing his mother loved the most: her garden. Each year he prunes the rose bushes, selecting one longstemed beauty to leave at her grave.

Later in the day, when the wild-haired witch across the hall stomps over to his desk to explain in great detail why his proposal is  _ all wrong _ and how he should fix it, the light usually flashing in her eyes is dimmed. His gaze follows her back to her desk, catching a glimpse of her tenderly stroking the petals adorning the surface with gentle fingertips before giving a perfunctory wave of her wand to shut the door behind her.

* * *

The next time he sees her outside of work, it is at the opening celebration of Hogwarts' memorial garden.

With a flourish, she summons not a bouquet but a pallet stacked with rooted plants in small containers. Floating it beside her, she walks along the path decorated with plaques, stopping to plant a flower by the names of the fallen as she goes.

Daffodils, again.

She catches him staring at her somewhere near the W's and quietly says, "For rebirth. Something good to grow out of the darkness."

The weight of her words hits him in the chest; there is something so pure, so bright about her despite all she's been through, and in that moment, all he wants to do is take her in his arms and try to soak up some of that light.

* * *

On the day their daughter is born, he fights his way through medi-witches trying to stop him from entering Hermione's hospital room with an armful of flowers; that unfortunate incident during the war with gifted Devil's Snare made them all a bit twitchy.

When he finds her, the scene nearly undoes him. She is tired but radiant, and a tiny, pink cheeked bundle sleeps peacefully on her chest.

Those big, brown eyes light up when she sees his bounty, and when they finally get home, they plant yellow daffodils and red roses in their front yard, and their child grows up knowing just how much her grandmothers would have loved her.


	20. Experimental

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First place winner for Dramione LDWS Round 6 - Statice/Remembrance.

Hermione had the unfortunate habit of tuning out the world when she was focused—an excellent thing for when she was at a Quidditch game to be supportive and still needed to study, but not-so-great when she couldn't tear herself away from her textbook as she scurried down the halls of Hogwarts.

Just when she'd gotten to the section on practical application of Ancient Runes, she abruptly halted when she crashed into a solid object, catching herself on the wall.

Blinking away the blurriness from the shock, she peered down to see the worn stone floor littered with colourful bunches of tiny flowers.

Expecting to see Neville, she was utterly perplexed to find the fashionably disheveled form of Draco Malfoy crouching over the mess, grumbling under his breath.

"Now they're contaminated…"

"What?" She shoved her book into her bag and knelt beside him.

"You've ruined my fucking flowers, Granger." He spoke with little bite despite the sharpness of his word choice, though he did give a disdainful sniff in her direction when she tried to help gather the scattered plants.

"If you'd take your swotty little nose out of your precious books for one moment, perhaps you'd be less of a menace to society."

Instead of volleying back with a scathing retort, she was hung up on what he'd said.

"_Your _ flowers? Since when are you into floral arrangements, Malfoy?"

Stopping his movements, he turned to look at her, a sneer twisting his face. "Ha ha. They're for a potion, though I don't see how that's any of your business."

She watched as he hurried to grab the bunches and place them back on the wooden pallet he'd been carrying, his wand forgotten on the floor.

With a smirk, she brandished her own wand. "You do know you're a wizard, right?" Speaking a quiet incantation, she moved all the loose flowers back onto the pallet in just a few seconds.

He stopped his scrabbling, glaring at her with a flush rising to his cheeks, clearly irritated that she'd had the thought to use magic before he did.

Scooping up the pallet, he stood and mumbled something she couldn't understand.

"I'm sorry?"

Jaw tightening until she thought it might crack under the pressure, he ground out, "Thank you."

Hermione couldn't help the smug smile that took over her face. "You're welcome. What are they for?" She'd never heard of a potion that called for statice buds.

It was his turn to look smug. "It's an experimental potion I've been working on.

The academic in her perked up at _ experimental_. "How? We aren't supposed to mess around with things like that outside of class."

"If memory serves, Granger, you don't exactly have room to talk about breaking the rules." He began to walk, stopping to glance back at her with a dramatic sigh. "Are you coming or not?" 

Malfoy or otherwise, she couldn't say no to a potential scientific breakthrough, and she hurried behind him, already asking questions.


End file.
